Tainted
by SylviaPlath'sOven
Summary: Tahno becomes the new leader of the Equalist movement. He has only one thing on his mind - to make her bow to him. Equalist!TahnoxKorra "An image of her appeared - her face etched in pain, blue eyes filled with tears. It was a nasty image. A cruel image. He should have pushed it from his mind right away. But he didn't. It..excited him."
1. The Beginning

He had been drunk. Again.

They had kicked him out. Again.

He had found himself out on the docks, near the element that he had once been able to manipulate so gracefully. Now it mocked him, the water lapping and swirling beneath him. He swayed slightly, his mind still very much swimming in the delirious affects of the cactus juice. With one shaky arm out, he reached towards the water, begging for the slightest ripple in the waves. _Maybe_, he begged, _maybe today?_

It did not obey him. The water below continued to sway gently, oblivious to the boy's pathetic attempts. He clenched his fists, and bit his tongue, afraid that he would scream. He wanted to scream, oh yes. He wanted to do much more than that. He wanted to damage and break and kill something.

_Someone_.

Someone with the bluest eyes he had ever seen. So wide and bright and fierce. So...delicate. Yes. In spite of her belligerent attitude, there was something very young and innocent and so _damn_ naive about her.

He realized in that moment that he hated her. The way she flaunted her bending, as if it were her birthright. She had been there when they were attacked, she had done nothing to save him. She was not the people's Avatar. She was not **his** Avatar. The thought of her made him sneer. No, he did not need _her_. She was not _his_ protector. He did not need someone so simple and stupid.

It infuriated him. The fate of the world depended on her? A little girl who knew absolutely nothing of pain or suffering. He knew pain. He knew suffering.

A sudden thought echoed throughout his mind. _Someone should teach her what real pain is_. An image of her appeared - her face etched in pain, her blue eyes filled with tears. It was a nasty image. A cruel image. He should have pushed it from his mind right away. But he didn't. No, he invited it, allowing the image to stay. He entertained the idea of hearing her scream. It...excited him.

The alcohol made his head swirl. The sudden onset of nausea forced him to collapse onto the waves laughed at his pitiful state. The boy who was once king, now reduced to just another drunken shadow in the night. _All because of her._

He should have seen it back then. The Equalists had seen what he was just now beginning to understand. She was the cause of endless violence and blood and terror. The Avatar did not bring balance; no, far from it. She brought chaos and misery. It was only without bending, without her that the world could truly live in peace. How incredibly idiotic had he been, to blame this on the people who were trying to save him. She was the cause. This was her fault.

And now she was hailed as a hero. Her praises were sung by every bender in the city. She must be so damn proud of herself. How blind could these people be? Time would go on and her legacy would only continue to grow. They called her the "savior of Republic City". He could only imagine her face, blue eyes shining with shameless pride. He wanted to make those blue eyes cry.

But it was over now, wasn't it? The non-benders were once again abandoned and forgotten. Once again, they were betrayed - by a filthy bender no less. Who would be their savior? Who would be their hero? He sat there, eyes fixating on the Air temple where she slept, probably warm and safe. The hatred pulsed within him, taking on a life of its own.

His hands were wet. Confused, he examined them. Blood trickled from where he had dug his nails into his palms. He noted the deep half-moon punctures with calm disinterest. This was nothing new. There were many more like them all over his arms.

In the midst of his tormented thoughts, he noticed something bobbing up and down in the water. Innocently it flowed towards him, gently nudging against one of his legs. The boy's eyes widened. It was a face - the one that had haunted him for endless days and nights. The face of the one who had ripped him of the life he once had. The mouth was curved into a slight smile, eyes slitted. Rage grew within the boy. Was it mocking him? He reached for it with his bloodied fingers, intent on smashing it into pieces.

But he stopped, suddenly. He examined the mask carefully. A dawning realization came upon him. The face was not laughing at him. No, not in the slightest. It had been stupid of him to think so.

It was _welcoming_ him.

The boy picked it up, admiring it's smooth texture. The thing that had been the endless source of his nightmares now lay in his hands. But, now it was no longer a nightmare. It was a gift. A calling.

The face stared back at him, waiting.

He had asked for a savior, and it had come to him.

The boy placed it on his face. It fit perfectly, as if it had been made for him, and him alone. Amon had not died. It's former owner had been a mere puppet for the mask. When it had found the man unworthy, it disposed of him. And now, it sought out a new master. One who was deserving.

He would do the mask justice.

He would become the true hero of Republic City.

From behind the mask a wide smirk spread across the boy's face. Through the slitted eyeholes he peered out at Air Temple Island. He would be the one to bring peace to the world. They all worship him. In the end, even the Avatar herself would bow to the mask.

What fun this will be. The boy thought, beginning to laugh, joyously.

_Oh, how he could not wait to begin!_

Author's Note: Welcome, reader! Thank you for taking time to read. I have entertained the idea of Equalist!Tahno before, I explored the idea in a different fanfiction of mine. It is called _Everything_, if you are interested in taking a look. The finale, however, gave me different ideas. Amon can be _anyone_, so long as they don the mask. So, I thought, what would happen if Tahno found the mask? What if he blamed his fall on Korra? What if he became so twisted with vengeance, that he would do anything to destroy her? Like Bolin said, Tahno is one nasty dude. I have a feeling that if he went down a dark path, he could become an excellent villan. The rating of this fanfiction _might _move up to M, if I choose to continue it.

As always, reviews are quite motivating! However, if you do not have the time, then thank you for reading anyways :)


	2. Recruitment

For the sixth week in a row, the Lieutenant could not sleep. The bed he lay in stank of badgermole shit.

He was tired.

He was tired and hungry.

He was tired and hungry and very, _very_ desperate.

Republic City had become more dangerous than ever for non-benders. The Equalist movement had all but collapsed. The non-benders no longer rallied together for their equality. There was no time – now, they had to fight just to survive. It was the same story, told century after century: the benders screwing over the non-benders, leaving them to rot at the bottom of the food chain. There were only a few Equalist followers now, and their number was diminishing quickly. The Council had been interrogating accused Equalists for the past few months, imprisoning them unless they publicly renounced their association with the Equalists. Some, the brave ones who refused to bow to such tyranny were put to death, by a bender of the Council's choosing. He had heard that Hiroshi Sato's interrogation would be this week. The man who once was so admired by the public was now spat at on the streets.

Violence and oppression. How typical of the benders.

The Lieutendant was in hiding. It was pitiful. He was well aware of his cowardice. As far as he knew, there were no Equalists left for him to reach out to. After the Council had found Amon's body, he had given up hope. _Amon_. The very thought of him made the Lieutenant sneer. _Filthy bending hypocrite._

And yet, despite the burning fury and hatred that he carried towards the man, there was still a part of the Lieutenant that admired him. He had been, without a doubt, the most incredible man that the Lieutenant had ever known. Charismatic, dedicated, passionate. The man just _exuded_ power. He was feared. He was respected. He was idolized.

He was gone.

With a heavy groan, the Lieutenant brought himself to his feet. His bones ached. Blinking, he stared at his surroundings. It was one of the last remaining Equalist stations. Most, if not all, had been shut down by now. This had been one of the few that was still undetected. For now.

All that remained of the revolution was in this very room - his old kali sticks, a few tattered posters and a defunct Equalist glove.

In the shadow of the room was his desk. The Lieutenant did not dare touch it, or even go near it. He was not exactly sure why exactly he did this – though he did have a good guess. He told himself that it was his disgust for Amon - or rather, for the man who had been Amon. But deep down he knew what it really was. He found himself unworthy of touching something so...so.._sacred_.

He turned away from it, immediately. It was better not to think of him. There was no time for that. Not now. Instead, the Lieutenant limped to the small window that overlooked Republic City. It was deadly quiet outside - the Council had re-enforced Councilman Tarrlok's curfew in an attempt to prevent any more Equalist gatherings. Metalbenders paroled the streets constantly, purposely targeting non-benders that were out late. The Lieutenant almost laughed at the irony of it all - the benders were using the exact same tactics that the Equalists had used - fear.

In spite of the relentless acts of oppression, he knew that the followers were still out there, waiting patiently as they always had. A frightening thought struck him. It had been troubling him for days on end. They were expecting him to take command.

The Lieutenant was never a leader. It was simply not in his nature. No, he was a follower - much better at executing plans rather than designing them. Plotting, conducting rallies, giving speeches - he knew none of those things. That had been Amon's job.

The responsibility fell heavily on him.

He did not even know if it was even possible to try to begin again. He stared out at Republic City, his heart clenching in his chest. He thought of his former leader. It could have been _their_ city.

"My, my, my. Didn't think that you were the brooding type."

Instinctively, the Lieutenant grabbed his kali sticks and directed them towards the taunting voice. The sight that greeted him almost, _almost_ caused him to collapse.

His former leader sat at the desk, hands clasped calmly. The mask that he knew so well stared back unflinchingly at the pale-faced Lieutenant.

It was not real. It was a ghost, it had to be. He had gone on too long in isolation - the hunger was making him hallucinate. The Lieutenant gripped his kali sticks and glared at the phantom of his former leader.

The mask spoke again, the Lieutenant could hear the smirk in the phantom's voice, "No, sir. I certainly didn't think that I would find you here - playing the tormented, fallen hero. Gazing out at the city and wallowing in your own filth. It's really quite pathetic to watch. Believe me, I would know."

His voice - it was different. It was not the deep, gravely tenor that inspired millions at rallies. Further proof that it was a mere hallucination.

"You aren't real." the Lieutenant gritted his teeth.

The figure shrugged, and rudely placed in feet on top of the desk in a very un-Amonlike manner.

"Wrong. I assure you, I am quite real." When the Lieutenant did not respond, the figure sighed in exasperation, "Do we really have to go through all this? What do you want me to do? Pinch you?"

The Lieutenant shook his head stubbornly, dropping the kali sticks. Great. He was speaking to dead people now – all was truly lost.

"You died. The Council found your body. I was at the Arena when they burned it. I saw it." The words fell out of his mouth stupidly. Why was he still talking to a ghost?

"Wrong once again. Two strikes, Mustache. Must have been a rough couple of weeks. You aren't too sharp."

The grey eyes behind the mask glinted gleefully in the moonlight,

" 'Amon' didn't die. Nah. You are partially right, though. The man _behind_ the mask was burned into a crispy fireflake. But 'Amon' lives on. He just needed another body."

With one pale hand he took off the mask, revealing the smirking face of the former waterbender.

"And I assure you, I am very, very much alive."

The Lieutenant stared at the face of the boy, thoughts turning to rage. It was worse than a hallucination - it was an impostor. Anger flooded through his body. He gripped his kali sticks tightly, ready to attack.

"How _dare_ you," he snarled, the blue electricity beginning to spark from the ends of his weapon, "You aren't fit to lick his shoes, bending _scum_." With animal-like ferocity the former Equalist launched himself at the boy - aiming for the heart.

He didn't even get close. The boy kicked the desk, causing it to collide into the Lieutenant's body. A few weeks ago, when he was not so weak, the man would have immediately gotten up without a thought and continued to fight. But his wounds were not yet entirely healed, and hunger had made him feeble. And he was tired. So, so very tired. Of Republic City, of the movement, of everything. He tried, half-heartedly, to push the desk off of him, but it was too heavy. The former waterbender lazily walked towards him. What was his name again? Taho? The boy calmly placed one foot on the Lieutenant's neck and pushed down heavily.

So. Was this how he was to die? At the hands of a former bender? He did not fight - he could have. Oh, yes. He could have pushed himself up and fought. But he didn't.

He did not _want_ to.

Tahno (yes, he remembered now. That was his name.) leaned down to whisper in the Lieutenant's ear. "I expected more of a fight from the man who helped lead the revolution. How disappointing."

Everything was turning black - soon it would be all over. The Lieutenant gasped for breath. Everything he had ever done - all for this? Dying beneath the feet of a mere boy?

Then suddenly, air. Sweet, sweet air. He breathed in deeply, desperately. The boy sneered down at him, eyes glittering with contempt. He spoke one word:

"Pathetic."

The Lieutenant had to agree. He was pathetic. This was why he was the follower - never the leader. He did not meet the boy's eyes. He couldn't bear to think what the real Amon would say if he had seen his cowardice.

The boy began to speak, "You see, if our positions had been switched - if it was your foot on my neck - I would have kept fighting. I would have fought until everyone of my bones were broken. And even then I would still fight you with all that I've got. But you - you just gave in. _Pathetic_." He spat the word.

Shame shook the Lieutenant to his very core. The boy - Tahno - though he was at loathe to admit it, was correct.

Tahno's hand, suddenly reached out to him. The Lieutenant stared at it - first with surprise, then suspicion.

Gently, Tahno spoke to him, "You know you need me."

There was a pause.

The Lieutenant took his hand.

The boy smiled.

* * *

They spoke until the break of morning.

The Lieutenant was impressed. The boy was clever, very clever. Arrogant and obnoxious as well, but frighteningly clever.

But this boy - he didn't want equality.

Oh, no. He aimed for something so much more.

He wanted blood.

He wanted _her_ blood.


	3. Quiet Moments

"I'm happy."

_No she wasn't. _

Korra _should_ be happy.

She defeated Amon.

She could finally airbend.

She activated the Avatar state.

She had a boyfriend that truly cared for her.

So she _should_ be happy that she got everything that she had wanted. Korra _should_ be happy that she was in Mako's arms right now.

She should be happy.

_But she wasn't._

There was something….wrong. Korra never had relied much on her instincts – that much was certain. Usually she was oblivious to everything but the obvious. It wasn't that she was _stupid_, she just tended to be… preoccupied with more immediate things. Like focusing on her airbending lessons (Tenzin insisted that despite the fact she had unlocked her ability to airbend, she still had not yet mastered the element). Or, you know, her blossoming relationship with Mako. Her boyfriend_. _

_Boyfriend_.

Korra leaned into her sleeping _boyfriend's_ chest. The word was so strange, even to think about. She stilled her breath and listened carefully to the dull pulse of his heart.

_Mine_

_Mine_

_Mine_

A small smile spread across her lips. It was creepy, but she liked to look at him when he slept. His face looked so serene, almost childlike. In this rare moment, Mako looked completely peaceful.

And vulnerable.

Her smile slowly twisted into a mischievous grin. Without warning she launched herself on him. His eyes shot open in shock.

"Korra – MMPH."

She covered his mouth with hers, grinning at his wide-eyed reaction.

"Morning sunshine."

Mako let out a surprised laugh. He gripped the back of her neck and drew her head back towards his lips.

"This girl is crazy." he muttered, his grin matching her own. She kissed him again, and he responded by deepening the kiss, his tongue gently slipping into her mouth. One of Korra's hands began to wander up his shirt.

Instinctively, Mako broke the kiss, and he pulled back. Korra looked at him, confused.

"What's wrong?"

He did not meet her eyes. "We…we can't do that here. What if Pema hears us?"

Korra shrugged, "She's busy cooking dinner. She won't hear us."

Mako simply shook his head and gently pushed her off of him. "No." he told her quietly.

The rejection stung. He had been like this ever since…well, ever since she had told him that she was a virgin. Mako had insisted that he wanted to make her first time "perfect". Honestly, Korra could have cared less. Sometimes Mako could be more of a girl than she was. She didn't care about when or where – she wanted him now. But he kept telling her to wait. It was annoying. Mako should have known by now that patience was never her strongest trait.

Korra furrowed her brows at him. "When, then?"

He kept his back to her, "Oh, I don't know Korra. Maybe when we aren't in a place where the entire airbending population won't be able to hear us?"

She rolled her blue eyes and flopped down on the bed, glaring up at the ceiling, "Tenzin is still in Republic City. And Bolin keeps the kids busy. Why not _now_?"

Mako turned, glancing at her, "What about Katara?"

Korra sniggered. It was true, Katara heard _everything_, and had absolutely no qualms about embarrassing the young couple in front of everyone. The old waterbending master got a kick out of making Mako blush.

"She would probably congratulate you. In front of Tenzin. With cake. One that said 'Congratulations on taking the Avatar's virginity (even though I did it first)! Flameo, hotman!' Or something like that."

Mako winced at the thought, "You're joking, but she probably would."

It was true. There was nothing more Katara enjoyed than making Tenzin and Mako, feel as uncomfortable as possible. She loved to embarrass the two stoic benders whenever possible. It was hilarious.

Korra looked at her boyfriend. He was stringing his red scarf around his neck. "Where are you going?"

"I'm just going to check on Bolin. He's probably outside with the kids, freezing his butt off. I'll be back soon."

"You better."

He looked at her, eyes softening, "Hey," he murmured, stroking her cheek with one hand, "Soon, okay?"

Korra smiled, "Promise?"

Mako nodded, "Promise."

He left.

Korra sighed and shut her eyes. There it was again. The feeling that something was wrong. What was it?

Her stomach growled. Food. Yes, that would be a good distraction. Korra rolled out of the bed and made her way to the kitchen.

They had all been staying in the water tribe for a few months now. The White Lotus had insisted that the Avatar had a few more duties to complete before she returned to Republic City. Tenzin had agreed with them; she needed a rest before she returned. Bolin and Mako had agreed to stay with her to keep her from getting lonely.

While it had been a pleasant vacation, Korra longed to return to the city. It had been nice to see her parents and Master Katara, yes, but she missed everything about Republic City. The pro-bending matches, Satomobiles, Air Temple Island.

Korra sighed. _Soon enough she would return._

Opening the kitchen door, she was greeted by a startling sight. Pema sat at the table, head in her hands, shoulders shaking uncontrollably. At the sound of Korra's approach, she lifted her head. Her eyes were red and puffy.

"Tenzin…" she croaked, "He…he was kicked off the Council…"

Korra's eyes widened, "_What_? Why?"

Pema struggled to get the next words out, her body still quaking with sobs, "He objected to some of the new laws…someone thought he was a threat. They 've replaced him with Shin."

_Shin_. Korra frowned. She remembered a rather annoying acolyte on the Air temple who was constantly buzzing around Tenzin. _He_ had replaced him? _How?_

She shook off the thought. Right now, Pema needed her. Korra embraced her shaking figure. "I'm so sorry, Pema. I'm sure that there must have been some kind of misunderstanding."

The tired woman shook her head, "That's not all…he's disappeared. Right after Hiroshi Sato's trial. Just –gone. Completely."

Pema looked at her, and for the first time Korra realized how much she had aged.

"Lin…she was investigating the Air Temple. She sent me this…she found _something_ in our bed – it's-" She couldn't bring herself to continue. Pema thrust the papers at Korra.

Korra looked at the photograph in her hands. She froze, her appetite immediately disappeared at the hideous sight.

It was a…body. Or, at least it used to be a body. It was gruesomely disfigured – bones jutted out at unnatural angles. As if it had been starved to death. It's clothes – Korra felt nauseous - they were Airbending clothes. And the face –

Korra's breath caught in her chest.

The corpse wore Amon's mask.

"_Impossible_." she whispered.

Then her eyes focused on the blurred background of the photograph.

The walls donned a simple message inked with blood:

_Missed me?_

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

So. I wrote Makorra. How in the seven hells did this happen? I'm just kidding. I have nothing against Makorra shippers . But just a warning for future reference – this will be mainly Tahorra based. A very one-sided, _darkly_ portrayed Tahorra. Anyways, I already have half of the next chapter written. I hope to have it up soon! And, don't worry – there will be more Tahno soon, I promise!

Oh, and I really enjoy the idea of Katara constantly making innuendos to embarrass Mako. If there is one thing I want in season two, it is Perverted!Katara.

Thank you for taking time to read. Again, reviews are nice if you have the time. If not – then thank you anyways!


	4. Investigation

Lin was absolutely sure of only two things in life:

1. Justice, in one form or another, will always be served.

2. You can never be absolutely sure about anything.

She lived her life by these two simple principles. The latter rule, especially. Lin made it a point to teach this to every single metalbender on her force.

_"__Never__ let your guard down, always be ready to adapt - no matter the circumstances."_

This motto served her well in life. You could never be absolutely sure of anything, really you couldn't. It proved true in almost every single situation in both her private and professional life. After all, she had thought that her relationship with Tenzin would last, and look how that turned out. She had thought her mother would live to see her take over the police force, and she was wrong yet again. She had thought that her bending, of all things, was something she would always have, but Amon sure disproved that belief.

But, even if everything seemed lost, the first rule would come into play. Justice was served, either by fate itself or by Lin's own hands. Of that, she was absolutely sure.

And it was because of that very principle, that Lin was able to remain calm as she waited for the identification of the corpse. It could be Tenzin, or it could be someone else. Either way, the end result would be the same: Lin would find whoever did this and make sure that they paid for it.

_If it __was__ Tenzin's body, then she would personally make sure that they paid in their own __**blood**__._

Finally, after what seemed like hours of waiting, the force specialist entered the room. Shino was a nervous thing, eyes hidden behind foggy, thick-rimmed glasses. But he was extremely thorough and a dedicated member of the force, and in the end that was what really mattered. Lin straightened her back and held in her breath, looking at Shino expectantly.

"Well?" she asked, her tone sharper than usual. He gave her a shaky smile. "We got the results back: it's not Tenzin's body."

Lin nodded her head roughly. Inside, she shook with relief. _Thank the Spirits._ She did not know if she could bear losing yet another person she cared for.

"One of the acolytes, then?"

He inhaled deeply, "Surprisingly, no. He matched with a Jin Ye, from the Basoti slums."

Lin frowned. How did a citizen get access to Air Temple Island? It had been under her surveillance for several weeks now, and her force had been nothing but absolute in their reports. No one but Tenzin and the acolytes were allowed to check in.

"What else do you know about him?"

"He was a nonbender."

Lin stared at him, "That doesn't make sense."

_Why would 'Amon' do such a terrible thing to the very people that he pledged to protect? _The furrows on Lin's forehead deepened. She had heard rumors of the 'rebirth' of a second 'Amon', but had dismissed them. At the time she believed that it was most likely some sort of nutjob looking for attention. After all, the Council was ordering her to conduct nightly raids on nonbenders. It was something that Lin personally disagreed with - violence begets violence and all that - but the policy was a success. Fear was a powerful tool, something that both the old and the new 'Amon' clearly knew.

Shino cleared his throat, interrupting her thoughts. "Believe me, it gets even more weird. The victim was a known Equalist sympathizer. Our guys found old rally posters in his home, and one of the Sato's Equalist gloves. He was one of the nonbenders who was trying to fight back."

He was shaking still. Lin narrowed her eyes, "You aren't telling me something, Shino. What is it?"

The weary man did not meet her eyes. "I found something when I was running tests on the victim's body...I thought it was a mistake at first, but..."

She interrupted. "Show me."

"I'm not sure you want to see this, Chief."

"I've been around the force far longer than you, kid. There's little that surprises me anymore." It was a lie, of course. After the sight on Air Temple Island, Lin had a suspicion that Amon number two had plenty more horrors in mind.

With a resigned sigh, Shino stepped back and allowed her to pass into the backroom. The corpse lay on the examination table, covered by a thin sheet. The smell had been diluted, but only slightly. Lin barely resisted gagging as the scent of fermented rot filled her lungs.

Shino turned to her, giving one last look at Lin. "You sure about this?"

Lin managed a nod. With a grimace, Shino pulled the sheet off. The body - if it could even be called that - was just as horrid looking, as it had been when she had first saw it lying in Tenzin's bed. Its pale skin was stretched tautly over the victim's skeleton. A few rib bones jutted out, poking through the thin layer of skin. Lin repressed a shiver. After thirty years serving on the Republic City Police Force, she should be used to seeing such awful sights like this. But this had to be one of the most disgusting corpses she had ever laid eyes on.

Finally, Lin set her attention back on Shino. "Cause of death?"

Worry lines marred Shino's forehead, "At first, I thought it was starvation. The victim showed all the signs - but then, when I was examining the body I...well, I guess it's better to just show you."

"Show me, what?"

Shino began to pull on a pair of medical gloves, "Look at his stomach. Look closely."

Lin did as he said. At first she saw nothing unusual, but upon closer inspection she caught sight of something terrifying.

Beneath the skin, something was _moving_.

"Spirits," she breathed, her green eyes wide with horror. _No, it couldn't possibly be-_

Without warning, Shino pulled up a flap of skin on the stomach where he had made an incision. It was just as Lin feared. Hundred of fat-bodied parasites were writhing through remains of the victim's intestines, gnawing on whatever was left. Which, from what it looked like, wasn't much.

Lin swiftly closed her eyes. "Cover the body," was all she was able to manage.

Shino obeyed. "Sorry Chief," he apologized weakly, "I tried to warn you."

_What did this mean? Why would he do this to a nonbender, an Equalist nonetheless?_ Lin breathed deeply, immediately regretting her decision to do so. The stench of decay was stronger than ever. She tried to think logically.

"So, the new 'Amon' force fed parasites to one of his followers? What kind of point is this guy trying to make?"

The specialist shrugged, he was just as clueless as she was. "Don't know, Chief. If..er..Amon did do this to the victim, he must have known what he was doing. We didn't find any prints except the victims on the crime scene, and this particular species - it's nasty. And rare. Native to the Si Wong Desert. From what I've been researching, these parasites go to work on the body almost immediately. There's reports that say three can take down a two hundred pound giant rhinoceros beetle in a day. This guy must have had at least twenty in him."

Something wasn't adding up. Lin looked at the corpse again. The skull was left uncovered. It grinned up at her, seemingly unperturbed by the throbbing mass of flesh-eating worms nibbling at his insides.

_Ah. There it was. _

Lin closed her eyes, realization dawning on her.

_You sick, clever, sadistic son of a bitch._

Shino looked at her, "What?"

She exhaled. "There were no other finger prints? You're sure?"

He nodded.

_But...you can never be absolutely sure about anything. Right?_

"Son of a bitch." Lin whispered. She suddenly remembered Tenzin and her heart began to beat a crazy march against her chest. It was time to leave. Now.

"What happened?"

Lin turned towards Shino, green eyes frantically meeting his.

"The victim put those parasites in his body voluntarily. That was his blood smeared on the walls."

"This isn't a murder. It's a suicide."

* * *

Not so far away, a boy with a grinning face leaned against the wall.

In front of him was a man, middle-aged and pale-faced, staring blankly at the mask that he had hoped to never see again.

"Do you like haikus?" the boy asked, a kali stick twirling in his hand.

The man did not answer.

The boy shrugged, disappointed at his hostage's lack of response.

"Cheer up. I've got one special, just for you:

I wonder just how

loud Avatar Aang's offspring

will scream on this night?"

* * *

Author's Note: Please accept this chapter as an apology for my absence! I have been interning on a film, and it has overtaken my life. I promise to be more diligent in the future! SO. Tahno is a man with a plan. A very _devious_ plan. Next chapter – one-sided Tahnorra galore.

A great big _thank you_ to the people who leave reviews. I am always pleasantly shocked that people take time to read my stories. I hope that you enjoying the story so far!

(Oh, and sorry about the haiku. Afraid that I don't have much of a talent for them…)


End file.
